Taylor Raddysh a Lightning prospect with potential
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Taylor Raddysh plays in the forward position for the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Rookie Taylor Raddysh turned in a most auspicious first pro season with the Syracuse Crunch in 2018-2019. Known as a points producer, Raddysh’s skill earned him selection by Tampa Bay in the second round of the 2016 NHL draft. The transition from junior hockey to the AHL did not dilute his reputation as a scorer.
Raddysh enjoyed a nine-game point scoring streak through late November 2018, tying the record for Crunch rookies in the Lightning affiliation era. He tied Nikita Kucherov, now a superstar with Tampa Bay and the NHL’s leading scorer last season. The Ukrainian Canadian Raddysh has a ways to go to reach Kucherov’s level, but his adept scoring touch has him pointed in the right direction.
Raddysh has been described as a pure goal-scorer with a talent around the net. If there’s a loose puck in front of the net and Raddysh is in the area, most times the puck finds the back of the net.
While the offensive flash is fun to watch, it is only half the story. Raddysh’s potential to reach the NHL and perhaps challenge for a spot among Tampa Bay’s other elite players is tucked away behind the other half of the game – defense.
What is very encouraging about Raddysh is that he knows it. A key aspect of his first-year development in Syracuse was becoming a two-way player. His coaches worked with him in that facet of his game every day, pushing him to improve.
At 6-foot-2, 210 pounds, the 22-year-old Raddysh has the physique of a college linebacker. He is the point man of another promising group of Tampa Bay rookies featuring defenseman Cal Foote and fellow forwards Boris Katchouk and Alex Barre-Boulet.
His scoring totals in his first pro season (18G, 28A, 46PTS in 70 games) were a continuation of his point production in juniors, where he tallied 42 goals and 67 assists (109 pts) for Erie of the OHL in 2016-2017 and 33G, 50A, 83PTS for Erie/Sault Ste. Marie in 2017-2018. The points streak in his second month of pro hockey got him going and only reiterated his reputation as a points machine.
Competing in the pressure cooker of representing Canada in the World Juniors two years running gave him an edge heading into the pros. These experiences prepared him for training camp and future challenges toward career progression. His inaugural pro year saw Raddysh exceed expectations.
The AHL brought several new challenges compared to teenage competition in the junior ranks. A major one was the squeeze of less space on the ice to make plays. Reaction time needs to be faster as defenders try to eliminate the opposing player as quickly as possible.
Junior hockey sees 19- and 20-year-olds receiving respect playing against younger guys 16, 17 and 18 years old. Entering the pro ranks at age 20 flips the dynamic, with Raddysh finding himself as the young one, needing to work on his weaknesses and building his strength.
Raddysh’s defensive improvement depends upon him stepping up his skating. His plus/minus in his rookie season was a respectable plus-14, showing more sweat equity in the Crunch zone as the year went on. He needs to work on his pace to become a three-zone player. Coaches like his attitude. He realizes much hard work is ahead and a more consistent performance will always be a prime goal. Translating practice habits and game experience into the next contest is a preferred path to a prospect’s development.
Raddysh expects more positive results in the near future from himself and his fellow teammates. At the start it was a time of getting used to the AHL grind with other rookies, playing in a new system in a new league. By the end of the 2018-2019 campaign, the play was better in all areas of the ice. There still is the dream of skating for the parent club in Tampa Bay.
Darren Raddysh a potential late bloomer
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Darren Raddysh plays defense for the New York Rangers.
Right-handed defenseman Darren Raddysh – Taylor Raddysh’s older brother – was not drafted by an NHL club despite putting up very respectable numbers for the OHL’s Erie Otters. Pro scouts attributed much of that production to a loaded team featuring Connor McDavid, Alex DeBrincat and Dylan Strome. Even after playing an average season without McDavid, the Ukrainian Canadian had to settle for a minor league contract with Chicago’s AHL affiliate in Rockford. Raddysh showed prospect-plus potential in Rockford, proving himself worthy of an NHL contract with the Blackhawks at the end of the 2017-2018 season.
The 24-year-old Raddysh is a cerebral, puck-moving defenseman. He exhibits great poise in both ends of the ice and can see ways out of trouble in tight spots. He gets the puck out of his own zone more as a passer than a skater – he’s adept at quick outlet passes to nearby wingers or confident diagonal passes through the neutral zone. The offensive defenseman is a capable quarterback for the power play.
The 2018-2019 season saw him tally nine goals with 21 assists for 30 points, 36 PIM and an overall plus/minus of minus-4 in 76 AHL matches with Rockford and Hartford.
What may prevent him from attaining his ultimate goal of an NHL job is his athleticism. At 6-foot-1, 200 pounds, he is not adequately built for today’s NHL. While his skating has improved from his OHL days, he’s about average by AHL standards. His stride lacks explosiveness, limiting his ability to rush the puck or defend in transition.
Chicago’s glut of right-handed defensemen in their system and with some others in line to turn pro in 2019-2020 made Raddysh expendable. He was traded to the New York Rangers at the February 2019 trade deadline in exchange for veteran forward Peter Holland. Chicago’s AHL affiliate picked up a 28-year-old scorer in an attempt to secure a playoff spot. The Rangers got themselves a potential prospect on defense.
At the time of the trade, every defenseman the Rangers had under contract in Hartford (AHL) was left-handed, creating a ton of problems. Raddysh gave the Wolf Pack a right-handed defenseman they desperately needed for at least another year, if not longer. Darren is under contract through 2020, when he becomes a restricted free agent.
The Holland-Raddysh trade will totally benefit the New York Rangers organization. At worst, Raddysh fills a massive void as a very capable right-handed defenseman in Hartford for a few seasons. At best, Darren Raddysh could turn into a valuable depth defender in the NHL. The odds of the latter may be 50/50, but any chance that Raddysh provides for that outcome is better than the non-chance the Rangers had prior to the trade.
Ihor Stelmach may be reached at [email protected].